Method of dismantling containers



July 23, 1940. c. H. RUBY 2.209209 METHOD OF DISMANTLING CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR (Lao n/ y 23, 1940- c. H. RUBY 2,209,209

METHOD OF DISMANTLING CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN OR ATTORNEY Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF DISMANT'LING CONTAINERS l chance I Ruby, Elizabeth, N. J. Application December 12, 1938, Serial No. 245,079

1 Claim. (01. 16417) This invention relates to new and useful imcontainer, body portion II which is usually provements in a method of dismantling containformed of fiat material bent to shape and joined ers and has particular reference to metallic conalong adjacent edges I2 to form the longitudinal tainers of the conventional cylindrical, oblong, seam which is welded, soldered, or otherwise or rectangular shape. formed. I 5

The primary object of the invention is to cut The upper and lower ends of the container are the can, or container, in such a manner that closed by means of shallow cup-like plates, or the material of the container can be readily discs, I3 each having flanges I4 which are bent reclaimed. over in conjunction with the edges I5 of the body Another object of the invention is to cut the portion II to form a folded, or double, end transcan, or container, in such a manner that the versal seam which is unsoldered, but, sometimes greatest portion of the parts that make up the made water-tight by the use of some suitable maoriginal article can be saved. terial such as rubber cement. It will be noticed A further object of the invention is to cut the from Fig. 2 that practically all of this folded 1 can, or container, in such a manner that the ends, end seam lies above and outside of the plane of or discs, will be retained in the body to give structhe main portion of the end discs I3. tural stiffness to it for subsequent operations. In the usual method of partially dismantling Still another object of the invention is to rea container so that it can be used again, acirduce the number of operations now required to cumferential cut is usually made at point B, dismantle a can, or container. thereby, liberating the end I3 With the entire Further and more specific objects, features and transversal seam I4 and I5. The top of the body advantages will more clearly appear from a conportion II of the opened container is, thereby, sideration of the specification hereinafter when lower which does not readily permit another taken in connection with the accompanying flange I5 to be rolled over again, so that it can drawings which form part of the specification be closed with another end I3. and which illustrate a present preferred applica- In the usual method of completely dismantling tion of the invention. a container, the ends I3 are cut out along a cir- Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a concular line indicated by the line A, and the body ventional cylindrical container. is cut along a circumferential line indicated by Fig. 2 represents an enlarged view of the conline B in Figs. 1 and 2. These two operations tainer with parts in section showing the location at both ends of the container are necessary at which the end seam is severed. before the longitudinal cut I2 through the body Fig, 3 is a partial sectional view showing the II can be made. Thereby, five operations are end of the container after the transversal seam required for completely dismantling the conhas been severed. tainers.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the severed It will be seen that when the ends I3 are out portion of the end transversal seam. from the body I I along line B, the body portion Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the severed disc is left without a stifiening support for later opend of the container. erations in outing out the longitudinal seam Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the upper transalong the edges I2. Also, it will be observed that versal seam after the edge severance and the lonthese cuttings involve a waste of the material gitudinal cut through it has been made. of the container which is unnecessary.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the body of the I have, therefore, conceived the method of discontainer remaining after the transversal and mantling a container by cutting the transversal the longitudinal severances have been made. seam across the line of fold outside the plane of Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the portion of the face of the end disc as indicated by line C, in the longitudinal seam. which has been severed Fig. 2. This one operation breaks the seam with- 0111 the bodyoutnecessarily separating the end disc I3 from- Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the severed disc the body portion II and leaves the remaining end from the bottom of the container; and portion of the transversal seam I4 and I5 ad- Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bottom hering to the body II. transversal seam after the edge severance and It will, therefore, be understood that after the the longitudinal out has been made. folded transversal seam, made up of the outside In describing the drawings in detail, it will be edge of the disc I I and the end flange of the body noted that I have provided a cylindrical can, or I5 is cut, the end discs I3 and the remainder of the transversal seam still do and remain in posi-' tion to stiffen and reinforce the body portion ll until after the longitudinal seam 12 in the body portion II has been cut out. i

It will also be understood that the remaining portion of the transversal seam l4 and I5 onthe body II will spring open as soon as the longitudinal cut is made which will also definitely release the end disc 13. v I v It will be further understood that the operation at each .endfalong line C, together with the longitudinal cut make a total of three operations for completely dismantlinga container.

According to this method, therefore, it will be seen that by cutting the transversal seam on' the" line Cinstead of cutting it away on line .B, I save the maximum of the materialof the body portion seamis beingsevered jrom the bodyv I havefretained the end discs; and the remaining portions of thetransversal seams to give the body portion seam while so holding the container,

the necessary and desirable support and stifiening.

' Furthermore, it will be seen that this method of completely dismantling a container that I have reduced the number of operations.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form thereof, it is not to be limited tov such 'de invention in its broadest aspects. Hence,'it is desired to cover any and all applications of, the

invention which may comewithin the language, or scope, of the appended claim. What Iclaim is:

The method of dismantling a sheet metal container which comprises cutting through the'end seams ina plane parallel to butoutside of the plane of the end members, holding the container with, theend members supporting, the side wall member and cutting away the longitudinal side.

CHARLES RUBY. T 

